The Tree of Life - Western Red Cedar (Thuya plicata) is a major species which flourishes in northwestern Montana and because of its exceptional durability has become known as arbour-vitae 'The Tree of Life'. Of Montana's total land area (93 million acres), 17 coniferous tree species cover about 22.5 million acres. Of these 17 species, the Western Red Cedar stands out as the largest, oldest and perhaps the best of the many trees that grace Montana.
During winter in the high country of the Bitterroot Mountains, many feet of heavy snow blanket the land in white silence. Snow accumulations often exceed 20 feet. In years of heavy snow seasons, the spring melt is impressive. Creeks and streams are rapidly moving torrents that often undermine the roots and sometimes topple the giant forest trees. Western Red Cedars grow on hillsides in moist areas beside streams so are most often affected by high water run off.
In summer, huge cedar columns rise majestically out of a dense mat of lady fern. The dense canopy of trees allows filtered sunlight to penetrate the shadows, sweet, cool and moist, the air is as fresh as after a morning rain shower. In Montana Western Red Cedar is most abundant in the Bitterroot Mountains, the Mission Mountains and in the Seely-Swan area of the state. A day spent amongst the cedars is a delightful and memorable experience.
Western Red Cedar is one of the most important trees of the Pacific Northwest. Western Red Cedar grows from the coastal regions of southern Alaska south through the coastal ranges of British Columbia through western Washington and Oregon to California. In British Columbia, the species grows east to the western slope of the Continental Divide and thence south into the Selkirk and Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho and Montana.
Despite its name, the Western Red Cedar is not a cedar at all and the name pertains to the western distribution and cedar-like appearance. Western Red Cedar tree is actually a member of the Cypress family. When Western Red Cedar is approximately 250 years old it is about 100 to 175 feet tall and up to 8 feet in diameter. Western Red Cedar can live to more than 1000 years.
The leaves are small, overlapping scale-like that form sprays in opposite patterns; dark green in color. The Western Red Cedar produces 3/4